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In some countries of the world, days and nights are very long, so is one obliged to perform Salaat or is he absolved from performing it because the time is not found?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Arij Canada
In some countries of the world, days and nights are very long. Actually sometimes days and nights can last up to six months. In such a situation, is one obliged to perform Salaat or is he absolved from performing it because the time is not found?

Answer: In such places where the days and nights last for six months at a time, the Ulama are of the opinion that the residents of those countries will still be obliged to perform all their Salaah by working out the Salaah times through way of estimation. The basis for this is the Hadith of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam. When Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam explained to the Sahabah radhiallahu Anhum about the coming of Dajjaal, he explained that one of the days in which Dajjaal will spread his mischief will stretch for a yearlong (in other words, in it daylight will remain for an entire year). The Sahabah radhiallahu Anhum enquired whether one day’s Salaah would suffice for that year-long day; to which Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam replied, that “No! You will have to estimate the times of Salaah.” (Muslim, Tirmizhi). The Fuqaha mention the method of estimation is to take into consideration the closest place where the sun normally sets and rises, and to perform one’ Salaah accordingly. (References: Jadeed Fiqhi Masaail Vol. 1, Pg. 46, Fatawa Darul Uloom Zakariya vol 2 pg 45)

This Q&A was collected from the official web portal of Academy of Research in Islamic Jurisprudence (Arij) from Canada, which was headed by Mufti Ibrahim Kureshi and Mufti Zakariyya Panchbhaya. As the original website is no longer accessible, we have provided a source link of each answer to the archive copy from Way Back Machine.

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